Jonjo Shelvey: I'll wipe out my red card shocker

Jonjo Shelvey's tackle on Jonny Evans led top his red card and a touchline row with Sir Alex Ferguso

He said, ‘It’s fine, it takes a man to apologise. No hard feelings. It’s an emotional game. Don’t worry about it

Jonjo Shelvey

The Liverpool midfielder is desperate to make amends for his sending off against Manchester United last month and can think of no better place to do it than at Everton tomorrow.

The 20-year-old was shown a straight red on his last Premier League start for a challenge on Jonny Evans and for good measure laid into Fergie on the touchline as he trudged to the dressing room.

Shelvey quickly realised the error of his ways though when they came face to face again after the match.

“I had just picked up my mate and his girlfriend from the players’ lounge,” said Shelvey.

“I was walking back down the tunnel towards the car park and Sir Alex was walking towards me. It was a bit awkward.

“In the end, I just pulled him aside and apologised for what I had done and said it was wrong and I was frustrated.

“I’m a young boy and I think the emotions got the better of me when it happened.

“I apologised but said I still wouldn’t have pulled out of the tackle if it was there.

“He said, ‘It’s fine, it takes a man to apologise. No hard feelings. It’s an emotional game. Don’t worry about it.’ That was fine with me.”

Although he apologised for his behaviour, Shelvey is adamant his challenge on Evans did not warrant a red card.

“That walk off the pitch felt like a mile,” said the ex-Charlton star.

“It is a learning curve and I am glad, to be honest, it happened so early in the season and against such a big team.

“It meant I experienced it first hand and it is something that I will be more wary of in the future.

“I still stand by my decision today that I wasn’t going to pull out of a tackle.

“The decision to send me off was made by the referee and obviously it has taught me a lot.”

Plenty has happened to Shelvey in a whirlwind few weeks.

He was handed a surprise England call-up and made his international debut as a second-half substitute in the 5-0 World Cup qualifier victory over San Marino at Wembley.

He was an unused sub in Poland a few days later.

When he linked up with Roy Hodgson’s squad, United striker Danny Welbeck broke the ice by warning him: “Leave my manager alone!”

But Shelvey has warned Everton’s midfielders that he won’t be going easy on them at Goodison Park.

He said: “I don’t think you can play to your full potential if you go into a game thinking about things that have happened in the past. If there is a 50-50 tackle, then I am going to have to go in for it. It’s the needless ones that are the problem.

“That’s where the likes of Stevie Gerrard and Jamie Carragher will have a word with you about it.

“I’m sure there will be a few tackles flying around on Sunday. It’s a derby and that’s the kind of thing that happens.

“Football is becoming less of a contact sport in my opinion.

“Some players are making what you would consider good old fashioned tackles but are being punished for them.

“You can’t get away with anything. I think it’s a joke, to be honest. How can you pull out of a tackle if the ball is there to be won?

“That is the kind of thing that the fans want to see, but times have changed and we have to adapt.”